Just Like You
by Red Tale
Summary: A sad Raphael story


Just Like You – by Red Turtle

"Goongala! Goongala!", Casey yelled.

Moments later an ax connected with an old tree. And stayed there, stuck in the massive trunk.

"Goongala, Goddamn it!"

Raph watched Casey struggle to pull the ax free. He honestly had expected that charging the tree with all his force would effectively chop the tree down, and was now very frustrated that not only did the tree not fall but it was becoming much more work than the steady swings Leonardo had tried to demonstrate to them earlier.

This on top of the fact that neither of them had wanted to do this chore to begin with. They didn't disagree that it had to be done, the farmhouse was mainly heated on firewood, and Donatello's improvement projects frequently required wood since there was no dumpster to gather materials from. But Mike and Leo were so much better at this, even Don could get a decent bundle in about an hour. Raph didn't understand why everyone had decided that he and Casey needed to do this in order to be good roommates.

He also didn't understand why Casey's attack on the tree didn't work. He didn't understand much about physics, but he did understand physical, and putting that much physical energy into something should have yielded results. Maybe this tree was the wrong type. Leo had tried to explain something about that as well.

Finally Raph came over to help Casey free the ax. He tried to pry it out with his sais, a move which in the course of things required his fingers to pull on the blade. He followed this action, and was surprised when the ax blade sliced into his hand.

"Fuuucckk!"

A string of shorter curse words followed, at this point Raph didn't even care if Splinter gave him the swearing lecture. All he cared about was the pain, and the blood. It was a serious cut. If the blade was that sharp, why could it cut through the tree?

This just wasn't one of his better days.

"You should probably have April bandage that up", Casey told him, continuing his fight to free the ax without touching the blade.

"Then I'm going to have to explain to them what happened", Raph sighed.

Part of this bad day was that it wasn't going to end here with the ax, he could already hear Leo's lecture, Mike's teasing, Don's…well, Don doesn't really do much annoying to him. But, when he does decide to piss him off, it's really bad. And the way this day is going, Don will decide to piss him off.

"Tell them….tell them I was about to cut my own hand off, and you saved me. I'll back you up on it", Casey suggested, finally getting the ax free.

Raph nodded appreciatorly, knowing that Casey would know his appreciation with out him actually having to say anything. Casey and April were the only people in the world who understood him like that. And it was a brilliant excuse, the kind of brilliancy that Raph or Casey only seemed to demonstrate when they were together.

Raph left for the farmhouse in a slightly fast walk. He didn't think the cut required running, the bleeding had even slowed some.

When he reached the porch, he was glad to find only April there. April would tend to him without any awkwardness.

He explained the circumstances as she treated his wound.

"You're lucky", she told him, "You're both lucky."

After another moment, she added, "You know that, don't you?"

He looked at her questioningly. No, he didn't feel especially lucky.

"The two of you always go about things so recklessly. You get angry, you don't judge your situations…him I could understand, but you're a ninja. And you have family that cares about you, and you still act…just like him."

"Sorry April", Raph sighed.

"I guess in a way he has family too. The same family", she continued, "and he had a normal life, you know. He's older, he's had opportunities to learn to control his anger, and instead he's just like you."

"I worry for you both", she told him as she finished wrapping up his hand.

Raphael nodded, not sure what to say.

Casey came into the house at that moment, and April went to go greet him.

Raphael mused over what April had just said as he examined his wrapped hand. He heard Casey and April talking. He heard the kiss that followed. He heard them going up the stairs.

"I wish there was someone else just like you, April", he sighed.

The end


End file.
